Bankruptcy Filings by Chapter of
the Bankruptcy Code12-Month Periods
Ending September 30, 2007-2011

Chapter

Year

7

11

12

13

2011

1,036,950

11,979

676

417,503

2010

1,146,511

14,191

707

434,839

2009

989,227

14,745

487

398,210

2008

679,982

8,799

332

353,828

2007

484,162

5,888

361

310,802

Fourth Quarter – Monthly Filings
July-September, 2009 to 2011

Month

Filings 2009

Filings 2010

Filings 2011

July

133,187

137,324

112,468

August

127,391

138,359

123,425

September

127,907

136,697

112,742

Bankruptcy cases filed in federal courts for fiscal year 2011, the 12-month period ending September 30, 2011, totaled 1,467,221, down 8 percent over the FY 2010 bankruptcy filings of 1,596,355, according to statistics released today by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Filings dropped during the fourth quarter of the Judiciary's fiscal year, with 15 percent fewer filings than in the same three-month period in 2010.

Additional statistics released today include business and non-business bankruptcy filings for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2011 (Table F-2, 12-month); a comparison of September 2010 and 2011 filings (Table F), 4th quarter filings (Table F-2, 3-month); and monthly filings for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2011 (Table F-2, Monthly).

Business Bankruptcy Filings Fall

For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2011, business bankruptcy filings—those cases in which the debtor is a corporation or partnership, or the debt is predominantly related to the operation of a business—totaled 49,895, down 14 percent from the 58,322 business filings reported in the 12-month period ending September 30, 2010.

Fourth Quarter Filings

The 3-month period ending September 30, 2011, was the Judiciary's final quarter of fiscal year 2011. Total bankruptcy filings in the fourth quarter totaled 348,635, down 15 percent from the 412,380 bankruptcy cases filed in the final quarter of FY 2010. For a breakdown of filings by all chapters for the quarter, see Table F-2, 3-month period.